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West Nile Virus
What is West Nile Virus?
West Nile is a mosquito-transmitted virus. Most people infected with West Nile virus either don't develop signs or symptoms or have only minor ones, such as fever and mild headache. However, some people develop a life-threatening illness that includes inflammation of the spinal cord or brain. Mild signs and symptoms of a West Nile virus infection generally go away on their own. But severe signs and symptoms — such as a severe headache, fever, disorientation or sudden weakness — require immediate attention. See Additional Resources below for links to additional information.
Summit County Mosquito Control Program
West Nile Virus is endemic to Summit County and detecting the virus during County trapping activities is a common occurrence. It is common for spikes to occur in late summer and into the fall (end of July/early August). To date, there have been no human West Nile virus cases in Summit County this year or last.
Summit County Public Health (SCPH) provides information to the public on matters such as mosquito ecology, vector-borne disease information, proper cultural practices for mosquito larva reduction, and mosquito control methods used by the Mosquito Control Program. To obtain this information call Summit County Mosquito Control at (330) 926-5669 Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm.
The SCPH Mosquito Control program has four components:
- MOSQUITO EDUCATION & INFORMATION
- MOSQUITO SURVEILLANCE
- MOSQUITO LARVICIDING
- MOSQUITO ADULTICIDING
For more information about these components visit Summit County Mosquito Control.
2023 Summit County Mosquito Spraying information
The following information was provided by Summit County Public Health in August, 2023.
Positive Pools Found
To date this year, 15 positive pools of West Nile have been found in Summit County.
- Week of June 12: 1 positive pool in Sagamore Hills
- Week of July 3: 1 positive pool in Coventry
- Week of July 10: 2 positive pools, 1 in Mogadore and 1 in Richfield Village
- Week of July 17: 3 positive pools, 2 in Akron and 1 in Hudson
- Week of July 24: 8 positive pools, 1 in Hudson, 1 in Stow, 1 in Green, 1 in Munroe Falls, 1 in Akron, 1 in Boston Heights, 1 in Boston Township and 1 in Richfield Township.
Past Data
For reference, here are the number of positive mosquito pools detected in Summit County in past years.
Year | Pools of West Nile Found |
2017 | 317 |
2018 | 28 |
2019 | 25 |
2020 | N/A no testing due to COVID |
2021 | 26 |
Spraying Schedule in Hudson 2023
- 7/18/23 due to high trap count
- 8/10/23 due to positive pool
Hudson will be on the spraying schedule for the week of August 14, 2023, although they have not provided a date. When the City is notified, information will be posted on social media to alert citizens of the spraying schedule.
Additional Resources
- West Nile Virus Fact Sheet (Ohio Department of Health)
- Summit County Mosquito Control Program
- Mosquito Fact Sheet (Summit County Public Health)
- Mosquito Control Resources from Summit County
- Center for Disease Control - West Nile Virus
- Summit County Public Health Mosquito Brochure